The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-11-02
WHOLE NO. 1894.
From Turtles Backs.

The fashion Tor tortoise smell cotnos
is returning" said large uptown retail
er to a reporter. Some i've years ago
combs were considered out Of fashion,
and nobody used them except ladies Of
the old school and the combs were
very small. But the style has been
growing in favor, and l should not be
surprised TO see in few years the enor-
nous comb Of our grandmothers worn
again"
Does the style of the comb originate
here, or Is il imported from Paris. with
the rest of Soman's headgear ? +" asked
the reporter.
Oh, no buy my goods from manu-
facturer in the city who has been in the
trade for nnInberof years. The French
combs do not take here, and at the same
time the designs are 80 elaborate that
they cost, with the duties, too much for
the average purchaser
ON the second floor Of an old fashion
ed building the reporter found the
largest tortoise shell comb manufacturer
in the city He said Tortoise shell
comes chiefly from Central America and
and the West India islands. The M
tiyes trade the shell for provisions and
clothing. and down there it Is a. good az
silver
= Are the shells brought here whole .
asked the reporter.
On, no. When the natives catch the
tortoise they kill him and expose the shell
TO the FIRE, which ioosens the plates, and
then they are easily pulled apart There
are thirteen plates on the back of tine
tortoise and thirteen on the stomach.
The stomach plates are what We call
amber she'll. and are worth more than
the rest. for when they are polished they
are almost as light a. genuine amber
Near the door sat a white haired old
Frenchman scraping and cutting some
shells which a lad took up and bound
together with a thread. A comb has To
be several shells thick After the shells
are cut out in the general shape of the
design wanted they are wrapped in sew
eral thickness Of wet cotton cloth and
placed between two heavy heated irons
in a press. which i screwed down Left
there for halt an h0ur, the steam welds
them together nicely, and when taken
out they % 10 the designer. who pastes
paper pattern on the shell, - that all the
delicate filigree work can be cut out with
what looks ike an ordinary scroll saw.
They are then sent to IN other room,
where the rough edges are cut OFF with
circular saws about as large as the end Of
lead pencil.
After going through several processes
the comb arrives AT the last stage, the
polishing room. There are a number Of
wheels Of different sizes, some thicker
than others, revolving at a rapid rate
The proprietor explained; These wheels
are composed Of many layers Of muslin
cloth, and the heat generated through
friction removes al roughness and puts
on beautiful polish, which lasts as long
as the comb
Do you make any Of those very large
combs, Ike that specimen in the case -
The manufacturer picked up the comb,
which measured fifteen inches wide and
eight inches high, beautifully carved, and
replied That comb was sent here from
Brazil by a lady Of Don Pedro's court.
mended II, but il has never been called
for, and / am not sorry, for II is eurios-
ity in this country. We do not make any
. ike il. | have some pretty large ones.
however. for the ladies Of Havana still
cling to the antique style Tortoise shell
is used for various purposes. Here. for
instance, are lot Of cap fore pieces for
the officers Of the spanish navy. Each
peak weighs just one-half an ounce. =